


And The Dead Follow

by sgtbuckaroobarnes



Category: Sterek - Fandom, teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Derek is still a wolf, Derek is too once he gets his wits back about him i promise, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, Stiles is Stiles, Stiles is a Badass, and not totally enemies but still, i hope i can manage that i'm gonna try really hard, sort of, sterek, they're more just wary of each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-04 19:39:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11561967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgtbuckaroobarnes/pseuds/sgtbuckaroobarnes
Summary: A deadly virus had killed most of the population. Stiles is alone. No friends, no family, just his wits and his bat. Derek is alone. No family, no pack, just his wolf and his steadily diminishing sanity. And then one day Derek catches a scent, a living scent. He follows it right to Stiles.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> heyyyyyyy, so i've always wanted to write a zombie AU, and guess what, this is it! i am so excited. i don't know where this fic is gonna go, but i hope it's somewhere great! i hope you like it so far! Enjoy! <3

**_~ Stiles POV ~_ **

He’d been alone for… he couldn’t remember how long. Days, weeks, months, maybe even years. It didn’t matter. Not anymore. The world was dead, or dying. A little bit of both. And being alone was normal now. There were a few people out there. Somewhere, Stiles guessed. He tried to steer clear of people as much as he could. It was safer that way. For everyone.

He was sure he was going to be alone forever. He was fine with that. Had accepted that. Was maybe even a little glad for it. And then a few days ago he’d heard them. Footsteps. Not the ambling, shuffling, feet dragging footsteps he was used to. These were _sure_ footsteps. Someone _alive_. Someone following him. They were quiet. Quieter than anyone he’d come across since it happened. But that just made him anxious.

He was walking through the woods, stepping easily over sticks and piles of dry leaves to keep quiet. He heard a twig snap behind him, far behind him, and the hairs on his neck stood on end. He rubbed at the back of his neck and kept walking. He’d stop when the sun started to fall. And then he’d start digging. As far as he could tell, whoever this person was, they slept at night. He’d never heard them creeping around. He was sure he’d have met them if they had been. He hadn’t slept in almost week. He just wanted to get rid of them so he could be on his way.

The hole was deep. He was proud of how deep he’d gotten. Deep enough that he had a hard time climbing out. Which was perfect. The sun was coming up over the trees and he knew it was almost time. Time to go. He brushed the dirt off his hands and collapsed the shovel he’d used. He shoved it in his bag and laid down on the ground. He didn’t want his stalker friend to think something was off. He waited about ten minutes and then pushed himself off the ground. He threw his bag over his shoulder and walked away from the hole he’d dug and covered.

He walked through the trees silently. He heard the branches over the hole snap and smiled to himself. He took three more steps and then he heard something else. A sound he should be used too. A sound that he heard almost every day. A sound that still turned his stomach and made his fingers itch as they tightened around the handle of his bat. The moans echoed through the trees. The wind carrying them to Stiles and making him shiver. He took a deep breath, listening to the sounds. They were heading this way. Getting closer and closer to the trap Stiles had set.

He growled in his throat, tucked his bat back into is bag, and turned on his heel, sprinting back toward the hole as the groaning dead closed in.

 

**_~ Derek’s POV ~_ **

He thought he’d finally gone crazy. It had been months since he’d smelled anything like it. Something human. Something alive. The wind had been heavy that day, the trees around him swaying and snapping back into to place, dancing in the wind like feral ballerinas. The scent hit him like a wolfs bane bullet to the stomach. He stumbled backwards and blinked hard, nearly losing his footing on the dry ground. He stood completely still for almost five minutes. Waiting. The wind barreled back through the trees and the scent hit him again. He felt his eyes glow blue, his claws extending, his heart beating fast in his chest. It wasn’t bloodlust he was feeling, it was excitement, longing, a pulse in his chest telling him that he didn’t have to be alone anymore.

He scrambled through the trees after the scent recklessly, stumbling over roots and rocks and anything that wasn’t flat ground. His claws tore through tree bark as he pushed himself forward. His body literally clawing towards the scent of another living person. He needed that. Needed someone. He’d been alone for so long. His pack destroyed and torn apart by whatever it was that had ripped through the world. And he’d been left standing. Alone.

He’d finally caught up to the scent after a few days. He’d stayed back. Not wanting to startle them. Or push his presence on them. He had to fight himself to stay away, every fiber in his being telling him to go forward, push further. Just _BE_ with them. But he dug his claws into his palms and stayed back. Stayed away. But not too far away.

He’d only caught glimpses of them. He was sure it was a man. Though man might be too strong a word. He seemed young. Maybe just out of his teens. His hair was shaggy. Derek had seen it once when he’d finally pushed his hood down off his head. The boy was wearing a red hoodie and a very worn pair of jeans, his shoes were red too. Derek had smiled when he’d seen them kicked up on a log when the boy had been resting for a few moments, dirty red converse, like the ones Derek had worn when he was in high school. He had a silver baseball bat. The end of it had a rusty red tint and Derek pushed away any thoughts about that being human blood. Living human blood, anyway. It was definitely human. Derek could smell it. But he pushed the thought away. Hoping beyond hope that he’d come across a good person. Not some crazy with a bat.

~***~

The ground gives out beneath his feet and he’s falling. His feet hit the bottom and he immediately readjusts his perception of the kid. He was clearly a crazy with a bat. He extended his claws, getting ready to climb out when he heard it. The telltale sounds of the dead. He looked up to the sky and closed his eyes, listening. There had to be hundreds of them, he’d never heard them so loud. He could hear their feet dragging and stumbling across the ground toward him. But he could hear something else. Another pair of feet on the ground. Fast ones. Running toward him.

He heard the boy crash to the ground and was sure he’d fallen until his head popped over the edge of the hole. He looked down at Derek, his eyes wide. Then his hand sprang forward, reaching out to Derek.

“Gimme your hand.” He said, his voice deeper than Derek had been expecting, he was breathing heavy. Derek blinked up at him dumbly.

“Give me your hand! Right now! Come on!” the boy yelled, shaking his hand at Derek, his fingers splayed out wide as he reached for him. Derek blinked again and then shot his hand out and grabbed the boys forearm. The boys’ fingers wrapped around his own arm and he started pulling. He had more strength than Derek was used to in humans, he nearly pulled Derek off his feet with one tug. Derek dug his claws into the dirt wall in front of him and began climbing out. The boy toppled backwards as he pulled him out, then sprang to his feet and looked at Derek.

“We have to go. Now!” he said, his voice frantic. He started running, Derek fell into a run at his side.

They ran through the trees side by side. Sticks cracking, leaves crunching beneath them as leaves swayed in the wind above. Derek ran side by side with this boy who had trapped him and then come back to save him. They ran and ran and ran, hearts pounding in their chest as they flew through the trees.

And the dead followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**_~ Stiles POV ~_ **

It shouldn’t have been this hard to get away from a swarm. Even one as big as this. Stiles’ lungs were burning as they ran. He’d fallen twice and the man he’d almost left behind had pulled him to his feet easily and kept him going. They shouldn’t still be as close as they were. Maybe it was because they were running downhill. That had been stupid. A stupid fucking rookie mistake. They were still so close Stiles could hear when one of them fell and tumbled a few feet before lumbering to its feet again to give chase. Or maybe, and Stiles tried his best to push this away, tried with everything he had, maybe they were getting faster.

He felt a hand wrap around his wrist and then he was pulled sideways and into darkness. The man had pulled him into a huge hollowed out tree trunk. Stiles pressed his back against the opposite side and they stood staring at each other in the dark. Stiles eyes adjusted slowly, his heart beating even faster until he could see again. He knew the man in front of him could see him. Knew he could see in the dark. He’d been calling him a man because that’s what he was, but that’s not, _all_ he was. Stiles had seen his eyes, glowing blue, and his claws, digging into the ground to pull himself out of the hole. There was a wolf standing in front of him just as much as there was a man. As the sounds of the dead passing them began filling the hollow space, Stiles was glad for it.

~***~

His head was buzzing. The groaning and shuffling steps, undead feet dragging through the leaves on the ground making his ears ring. Stiles clamped his eyes shut tight and pressed his head back into the tree trunk. His chest was tightening. He could feel it. That panic setting in, his knees were shaking, and his hands. He clenched them at his sides and tried to keep his breathing slow and quiet. His lungs seized in his chest and he blew out air, not loud enough to be heard but still too loud for him to be comfortable with it. He shook his head to try and clear it. All the images filling it only making things worse. Then there was a gentle, warm, pressure on his chest.

His eyes snapped open to see the man standing in front him, his palm pressed flat to Stiles chest, over his heart. Stiles felt fear rush through him and then ebb away as the man wrapped his fingers gently around Stiles wrist, bringing his hand up to rest on his own chest. He looked at Stiles. Widened his eyes and started taking deep breathes. He breathed in and out slowly, staring at Stiles all the while.

Breathe with me.

He didn’t say it. He couldn’t. Not with a swarm of dead still walking past them, too close to speak. But he didn’t have to say it. Stiles didn’t need him too. He nodded and closed his eyes again. Focusing on the rise and fall of the chest beneath his palm. His breathing evened out quickly. The burn in his lungs eventually falling away, the tension in his chest breaking. He relaxed and fell against the side of the tree. The man swayed to follow him, his hand still resting gently on Stiles chest. Stiles opened his eyes and gave the man a nod, dropping his hand to his side. The man nodded back, once, and stepped back. Out of Stiles space. He didn’t go as far as before. He stayed close. And Stiles once again felt glad that he hadn’t left the man behind.

They stood there in silence for what seemed like hours. Listening to the groaning mass of bodies pass them by slowly. Stiles skin itched. He just wanted this to be over. Wanted them gone. He wrapped his arms around himself, fingers digging into his ribs, and he waited. The man stepped closer. Pressing his shoulder to Stiles’. Stiles didn’t move away.

Eventually the sounds died down. They listened to the last few stragglers pass. Ones too slow to keep up, even moving downhill. A few of them stumbling and slowly pushing to their feet again. Stiles listened to the last one pass and counted to 100, then he climbed out of the tree trunk and back into the sunlight.

 

**_~ Derek’s POV ~_ **

Derek followed the boy back into the light. His hand still tingling from the contact with his chest. Derek wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anyone’s heart beating that fast. He’d been worried the boy was going to pass out. Or his heart was going to stop. He wasn’t sure how he would react to touch in that moment, but he’d taken the chance. He’d felt a pull in his gut, telling him to help. So he had. And it had worked. The group of dead had passed and they were safe again. Safe as they could be.

The boy turned and looked at him. He wiped his hands on his jeans nervously, then blew his hair out his eyes and sank his teeth into his lip. His eyes never leaving Derek. He smelled nervous. He looked like he was thinking hard about something. Derek was worried that maybe he didn’t trust him. Even though this kid had been the one who dug a trap for him, and Derek should be the one not trusting here. But he’d pulled him out of it. He hadn’t left him to die. And judging by the scars Derek could see on the little skin that was showing, this kid had reason not to trust people. So he stayed quiet, and he stayed still, and he waited for him to finish sizing him up.

A few moments later the kid licked his lips and nodded once. To himself, Derek guessed.

“You gotta name?” the kid asked, his voice once again startling Derek with how deep it was. Derek nodded but said nothing. The kid’s eyes widened and Derek swore he saw his lips twitch up a bit, the start of a smile maybe.

“You uh… you wanna tell me what it is?” he prompted.

“Oh. Right.” Derek said, his voice rough. He cleared his throat.

“Derek. Derek Hale.” His fingers twitched, he wanted to reach out, but he wasn’t sure if handshakes were still a thing in this new world. The kid nodded and stepped forward, extending his hand. So handshakes were still good, with this kid anyway. Derek took it and shook it once.

“Stiles.” The boy said. Derek raised his eyebrow.

“Stiles?” he said, sounding skeptical. The kid nodded again and did smile this time. He dropped his hand again, Derek’s once again tingling at the human contact.

“Stiles Stilinski.” He said.

“That’s a mouthful.” Derek said dryly. The kid, Stiles, snorted.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He said, almost under his breath. Then he turned and started walking. Derek watched him go. His chest aching as he watched the only human he’d seen in months, walk away from him. Stiles turned around then, and gave him a strange look.

“You comin or not?” he asked, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Derek nodded again and fell in step beside him.

~***~

They walked in silence for a long time. The sun was falling beneath the trees when they finally stopped. Stiles setting up his small amount of supplies and whipping up a small fire faster than Derek could really comprehend it. He sat on the ground and watched Stiles cook. Neither of them talking still. Derek just sitting and feeling the presence of another person wash over him. Stiles handed him a bowl of something gross looking. Derek made a face as he stirred it.

“I know right? I promise it tastes better than it looks.” Stiles said, settling himself on the ground a few feet away from Derek. Derek nodded and took a small bite. Stiles was right. It was better than it looked. He couldn’t really pin down the taste, but it was better than anything Derek had had in ages and it was gone faster than he’d care to admit.

After they were done eating Stiles used some leaves to clean the bowls and then wiped the rest out with an old looking shirt before putting them back in his bag. Stiles put out the fire soon after that. Then he and Derek just lay there, silently, looking up at the stars.

“I think we should stick together.” Stiles’ voice startled him. Derek looked over at him. Stiles turned his head and looked back.

“For survival.” He said, blinking at Derek. He looked like he was waiting for an answer so Derek nodded. Stiles nodded and then turned back to face the sky.

“For survival.” Derek whispered into the dark.

He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to get to sleep. He felt like he was vibrating out of his skin. He had found someone. Finally. He stared at the stars and listened to Stiles’ even breathing in the dark. He tried to wait until he’d fallen asleep to sleep himself, but Stiles breathing stayed even, never slowed down to the sounds of sleep slow breathing. Derek drifted off, falling into sleep suddenly, the same way he’d fallen into this kid’s trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is moving a little slow but...zombie things are slow. and there will be more action later i promise! maybe not in the next chapter, but definitely soon!!! thanks for reading guys! i appreciate you!!!! <3


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